squabble
squabble — verb
- squabblepresent simple I / you / we / they
- squabbleshe / she / it
- squabbledpast simple
- squabbling-ing form
1. to have a noisy argument with someone about a topic that is unimportant, usually
to have a noisy argument with someone about a topic that is unimportant, usually lasting only a short time
The children squabbled over who would sit in the front seat of the car.
squabble + over + noun phrase (the subject of disagreement)
Minho and his sister were squabbling about which TV show to watch.
past continuous: were squabbling + about
The two neighbours squabbled endlessly over a shared driveway.
I wish you two would stop squabbling and help me set the table.
Isabela squabbled with her brother about whose turn it was to pick a movie.
- bicker
very similar in meaning; bickering often suggests repeated, ongoing petty arguments, while squabbling can be a single episode
- quarrel
more general and can be about serious issues; does not carry the 'trivial' meaning by itself
- argue
the most general term; covers everything from calm discussion to heated disagreement, and the topic may be important
- wrangle
more formal; suggests a prolonged, noisy dispute, often over practical matters like money
- agree
the opposite action — reaching a shared view instead of disagreeing
- make peace
the opposite resolution — ending the disagreement rather than continuing it
文法句型
squabble + over/about + noun phrase
squabble + with + someone
stop squabbling + and + verb
用法筆記
Often used in continuous tenses (were squabbling, keep squabbling) because the action is typically repetitive or ongoing during the disagreement. The subject of the disagreement is introduced by 'over' or 'about', and the other person by 'with'.
常見錯誤
squabble — noun
- squabblesingular
- squabblesplural
1. a short, noisy argument between people about something unimportant, often someth
a short, noisy argument between people about something unimportant, often something that seems silly to others
The meeting ended in a silly squabble over who would take notes.
a squabble + over + noun phrase
What started as a friendly chat turned into a loud squabble about parking spaces.
turned into a squabble + about
Tomás had a brief squabble with his cousin over a video game controller.
After a short squabble, the kids finally agreed to share the toy.
The neighbours' squabble was so trivial that no one could remember how it started.
- quarrel
a more general word for an angry argument; can be about serious or trivial matters
- tiff
even more informal than squabble; suggests a very minor, short-lived disagreement, often between romantic partners or close friends
- spat
informal, similar to tiff; suggests a brief, unimportant argument, often in public
- disagreement
neutral and general; does not necessarily imply noise or anger
文法句型
have a squabble + over/about
a squabble + between + people
a squabble + with + someone
用法筆記
Often described with adjectives like 'silly', 'brief', 'short', 'loud', or 'petty' to emphasise the trivial or noisy nature. Unlike 'fight' or 'quarrel', a squabble is always about something minor.